The Underwater Project by Mark Tipple

Remarkable achievement in the field of underwater photography. Read how a single photo can change the life of a photographer, the project he chose to interpret through his photographs is no wonder called the underwater project. The sense of helplessness, the very command of yourself to hold the breath and suddenly you see the scenes unfold before you. Its more than a study of how people interact with the waves. As always here too Mark wanted to do something different in this project of his, listen to him hear it from his photographs. Hold your Breath guys!!

Mark Tipple talking about The Underwater Project

On the 17th of December 2009 I was photographing small waves at Coogee Beach, Sydney when I dove under a larger wave and thought to turn the camera onto a swimmer next to me, and see what he went through while diving under the wave.

This split second produced a photo entitled ‘Escape’, and changed the direction of my photography with an ongoing series called The Underwater Project.

In my other photography work the personal connection between myself and the people in front of the camera is paramount, and while I work towards building these long term relationships it’s this connection that has been lost through a candid approach to shooting underwater.

Grip the sand, they remind themselves. Go low, stay low.

Their faces contort, their muscles tighten in reaction to the struggle for power with the ocean. They surface when the surge has passed. Then breathe.

They are unaware that a camera has captured it all; from straining arms clawing at sand to eyes squeezed shut against the bite of salt. Mark Tipple holds his camera steady in the melting foam, and makes his way to shore.

‘Surf photography’s been around forever. I wanted something different.’.